


This is how it goes

by theoneandonlyzoom



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dubious Consent, Extremely Dubious Consent, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Minor Violence, POV Hux, Power Imbalance, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, Unhealthy Relationships, symbolic conquering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:15:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoneandonlyzoom/pseuds/theoneandonlyzoom
Summary: Nearly all members of the First Order were either bred or captured and then conditioned into their current positions. Armitage Hux is no different. He was always destined to become a living symbol of the First Order.Whatever happens to him is therefore symbolic of what is to become of the First Order.Kylo Ren is well aware of this.





	This is how it goes

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hux and Ren have a dysfunctional relationship. Of that, I have no doubt. Hux is cold, cruel, and beautiful in an unattainable way, whereas Ren is hotheaded, entitled, and unrelenting -- they're practically explosive together.
> 
> Fair warning: please heed the tags. If there's something you feel I should add, please don't hesitate to let me know. Likewise, I am not offended by people who point out grammar mistakes.
> 
> Note: This was written as a stand-alone, but is technically a companion piece to [Entropy and Equilibrium](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13307841), which is basically this whole fiasco from Ren's point of view.

Standing on the primary command bridge of the _Finalizer_ , watching the slow but methodical collection of _Supremacy_ debris through the viewport, Armitage Hux falls into something of a trance.

Sleep deprivation is a common enough ailment in his line of work, although he usually puts more effort into fighting the cloud that settles over his mind. Between overseeing the clean up of this most recent disaster and maintaining communication with the farthest reaches of the First Order, he hasn’t had a moment’s peace. News of _Starkiller_ ’s destruction spread like wildfire across their organization and rankled his colleagues in a way that does not bode well for morale. Of course, _Starkiller_ was far from being their only means of strong-arming the universe into their idea of uniformity. In fact, Hux only needs to give the word to set in motion the next step in Snoke’s original designs for the New Republic, but that requires something they no longer possess.

Snoke himself.

The shock of that fact alone is what initially slips Hux into this trance. Finding the man dead at the foot of his throne, the Praetorian Guard slaughtered in the foreground, Hux remembers taking a moment to marvel at how spectacularly the universe had crumbled all around him. To lose the _Starkiller_ and the Supreme Leader in the span of a few cycles should have been an impossible feat, and yet Kylo Ren claimed a solitary girl was capable of it. After Luke Skywalker’s display on Crait, Hux can almost believe it. Clearly, there is something to the Jedi even Snoke himself overlooked.

But it is not Snoke’s death that has Hux stonewalled now, trapped in an internal cycle of _what ifs_. Hux has everything he needs to move forward, save for the permission of the new Supreme Leader. Kylo Ren, who survived—but could not best—this nameless girl, now stands at the helm of the First Order. Until he commands otherwise, they are trapped in a state of dormancy, recuperating from this recent blow but losing precious time. Sooner or later the Resistance will retaliate, and given its newfound intel on the inner workings of the First Order, curtesy of FN-2187, there’s no telling what will happen next.

A muscle in Hux’s jaw twitches. It’s partially because of FN-2187 that Kylo Ren is not presently on board the ship. Following the battle on Crait, he spent a single cycle in isolation before gathering his Knights and disappearing without a word. Hux only discovered his whereabouts through a message from their outer posts. Kylo Ren, it seemed, had taken it upon himself to conduct a purge within the First Order, culling both stormtroopers and high-ranking officers alike, anyone too weak-willed or treacherous for his liking.

As both Supreme Leader and a wielder of unimaginable powers, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.  

This internal massacre puts Hux’s teeth on edge. He knows FN-2187 is an anomaly and that the First Order is as strong as it needs to be to carry out its purpose, but he begrudgingly understands the unspoken reasons behind the purge. Hux isn’t the only person who’s ever been in opposition of Ren. He also isn’t the only _somewhat_ sympathizer of Snoke. If Hux has questions concerning the man’s death, so do others. Stomping out such treasonous thoughts, he admits, is something of an act of foresight on Kylo Ren’s part.

Just above the surface of his thoughts, Hux suddenly senses an officer to his right. Dimly, he’s aware this is the usual hour he receives an update on Phasma’s status. The last he heard, the Captain was stable but still too severely burned for surgery. Whether or not she pulls through another cycle remains to be seen.

To his surprise, the officer says nothing of Phasma. Instead, he quietly informs Hux that the Supreme Leader has returned and will now meet with him in his quarters.

The fog surrounding Hux’s mind slowly dissipates. On reflex, his gaze slides across the bridge to Captain Peavey. They share a look, an unspoken shift of command while Hux deals with Ren.

The Captain is noticeably pale-faced as he turns away; Hux seems to realize now that the stench of fear hangs heavy throughout bridge. They must all know about the purge.

They must realize Ren saved the _Finalizer_ for last.

Hux has already seen the numbers. He knows Ren hasn’t killed off nearly as many men and women as the rumors suggest. But he also realizes he is one of the select few on Ren’s list, both because of their bitter rivalry and because Hux is still the preferred candidate for leadership. Hux _is_ the First Order, so far as their hive-minded community is concerned.

And, therefore, he’s potentially Ren’s greatest obstacle in this hostile takeover.

As Hux leaves the bridge, his mind drifts to the monomolecular blade hidden up his sleeve. Ren has every advantage against him in a fight, but Hux is determined to leave his mark if he falls. He only hopes he can leave something as permanent as that ghastly scar on Ren’s face when the time comes.

As he marches through the halls, he can sense the pressure rising all around him, heads bowed, people scurrying to their destinations. They want him to put an end to this madness; they want him to find a way to spare them. And he will, if he can, but he is utterly powerless in so many ways now that Snoke is no longer there to rein his apprentice in.

Hux tries to keep a level head as he approaches Ren’s new living quarters. A cold sweat has broken out on the back of his neck, but he is otherwise able to keep himself calm and collected as Ren’s doors slide open before him. He’s dealt with the Ren’s tantrums for so long now, this encounter almost feels like routine.

Even so, he braces himself.

The wing that housed Ren’s old quarters is currently under repair. As Supreme Leader, Hux assumed he would choose something more elaborate, but Ren has merely opted for a slightly larger space: larger bed, larger closet, and a wide, uncluttered desk. The room is poorly lit, which is not unusual. Kylo Ren has a penchant for darkness, in every meaning of the word.

The man in question is sitting at the desk, unmasked and in his usual black attire. Hux has never seen Ren subject himself to any kind of paperwork before and therefore the sight of him gives Hux pause before he plants his feet, folds his hands neatly together behind his back, and says, “Supreme Leader.”

Ren lowers his datapad and inclines his head toward Hux. His face is completely blank.

For some reason, Hux finds this more unnerving than anything else about the man or his recent activities.

“Snoke had plans beyond _Starkiller_ ,” Ren says at long last, rising from his seat. “Plans that only the two of you were privy to. Until his death.”

“Yes,” Hux readily admits, although he doesn’t understand why this should come as a surprise to Ren. Surely, he must know Hux was made his co-commander and shared his own secrets with Snoke to keep Ren on edge. Their rivalry was practically handcrafted to bring out the best and worst in both of them.

Already, Hux can feel an unusual pressure at the back of his mind, a telltale sign of Ren parsing through his thoughts. He’s keeping Hux on his toes, trying to detect any sign of deception for the conversation ahead.

Bitterly, Hux lets him pry to his content. Honestly, there is nothing about the plans themselves that Hux needs to keep from him. Snoke simply took great delight in keeping secrets. Even so, Hux stills loathes having to subject himself to Ren in a way he was once protected from.

“I have a few concerns,” Ren says at long last, “but otherwise I approve.”

“What are your concerns?” Hux asks.

“They pertain mostly to leadership.”

He isn’t surprised.

He _is_ surprised when his wrist blade is suddenly snapped out of its strap and flies into Ren’s outstretched hand. He thought he’d buried the memory of it under so much other useless information, far away from Ren’s prying eyes. Consciously, at least. He has no control over what goes on in his subconscious mind.

“You would think of it often during our meetings with Snoke,” Ren says in the way of answering his unspoken question. He turns the retracted blade over in his hand, as though admiring it. To the untrained eye, it looks like a datapad stylus. “You wanted to plunge it into my heart; I wanted to destroy it. But he said I wasn’t allowed to touch you or your things just yet…”

 _‘So this is how it goes’_ , Hux thinks miserably, gaze focused on his only weapon.

This is but the build up to the end.

Ren takes a moment to place the blade down on his desk before he continues, “Your men admire you. Truly. There were those who wanted to usurp your power, but they were few and far between. Most of the minds I encountered regard you as the embodiment of the First Order itself.”

Hux is not unfamiliar with this ideology. He is young and cold and ruthless. He is their General and their Starkiller. He is their symbol; whatever happens to him is symbolic of what is to become of the First Order.

Ren has every reason to crush and replace him.

The sly crook at the corner of Ren’s mouth betrays the fact that he’s still mucking around in Hux’s mind. Oh, how he must be enjoying this, dragging out the inevitable. Hux wonders how often he must’ve dreamt of plunging that same monomolecular blade into Hux’s heart instead.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Ren replies, voice deceptively soft. “I never wanted to kill you.”

Hux has serious doubts about that, given the way Ren’s thrown him around. “Needs must,” he says with a solemn sort of understanding, because they both know it would be foolish of Ren _not_ to kill him.

“I could,” Ren reiterates. “I already have the First Order under my thumb. I set myself upon the task of reminding everyone these last few cycles. But there is a difference between what I need to do and what I _want_ to do, and now that I have the power, those two things can finally become one and the same.”

Hux…doesn’t understand where he’s going with this.

Either his confusion shows on his face or in his mind, because Ren nods slowly, thoughtfully, before trying a different approach. “Why do you want to be in power so badly, Armitage?”

Hearing his given name on Ren’s lips sends a jolt down his spine, the discomfort of a different kind of invasion from the one going on inside his mind. He tries to ignore the sensation as he ponders the man’s question. Truthfully, he doesn’t need the time, but he makes the effort to dredge up relevant memories to ease his explanation.

He thinks primarily of his bastard of a father, Brendol Hux; thinks of how he orchestrated the man’s death, his first true autonomous act of power. Nearly all members of the First Order were either bred or captured and then conditioned into their current positions, and Armitage Hux is no different. He was born solely to bring honor to his family name and serve the newfound empire, but he still wants the freedom to make his own choices. That is the crux of his existence.

So Hux supposes the answer to Ren’s question is a mix of upbringing and rebellion. He was bred to climb the ranks, but the way in which he climbs them and uses his hard-earned power is uniquely his decision. He just happens to be trapped in a vicious cycle of running from his fate and turning right back around to greet it.

For that reason alone, Hux has always been on a collision course with Ren. From the moment they were made co-commanders and decided they didn’t like each other, it was the beginning of the end for Hux.

“I see,” Ren breathes, nodding once again. “That’s something we have in common.”

“There _is_ no common ground between us,” Hux seethes softly. Whereas Hux has been locked into the destiny bestowed upon him at birth, Kylo Ren succeeded in outrunning ‘Ben Solo’. So well, in fact, that he now stands in complete opposition to the people who raised him. His trials and tribulations are uniquely his own.

Briefly, something like agitation furrows Ren’s brow. Not for the first time, Hux is reminded of a petulant child, unable to stand any form of criticism. It’s part of what makes Ren so dangerous, of course, which is no doubt one of the reasons Snoke chose him as an apprentice.

“You’re wrong,” Ren says with no further explanation. And he’s childlike in that respect too. His word is final because it’s _his word_.

All hail the Supreme Leader…

Ren takes an uncharacteristic moment to compose himself before he continues. “If it’s true you’re stuck in this vicious cycle, then your next answer is predictable: What are you willing to do to stay in power?”

Hux is unable to conjure up an elaborate explanation because the answer is, as Ren annoyingly predicted, as simple as anyone would expect: “Anything.”

Something odd shines in Ren’s eyes at his response. Somehow, Hux feels like he’s been played. Unfortunately, he has no one to blame but himself for that.

He doesn’t have much of an opportunity to contemplate the wisdom of his answer before Ren is suddenly moving, long legs eating up the distance between them even as Hux backs into the closed door. His mind is screaming at him to fight. However, past experience with Ren has taught him that any such foolery is useless without a weapon, and already he can feel Ren pressing in on his mind anyway, telling him to relax. This is ultimately the compulsion that wins out when Ren wraps a hand around his throat to brace him up against the door, his dark figure filling Hux’s vision as he bows his head for a kiss.

Hux closes his eyes against the assault, more baffled than afraid. He can feel his pulse against Ren’s thumb, the phantom pain of where Ren strangled him with the Force. The reminder triggers a deeply ingrained desperation to keep the air in his lungs, so his lips part more on reflex than any real want for Ren’s tongue in his mouth. It takes every ounce of his willpower not to bite down on the offending appendage.

Hux doesn’t know how long Ren kisses him. At some point, Hux reaches up to wrap one hand around Ren’s wrist and brace the other against the man’s shoulder, numbed by confusion, but still not foolish enough to push away. Finally given a chance to reflect on what just happened, Hux thinks, ‘ _Oh’_.

“You want power,” Ren says as he pulls back, breath warm against Hux’s bruised lips. “I want you. Do you understand how this is supposed to go?”

 _‘Supposed to go,’_ Hux thinks bitterly, as if he’s incapable of saying no. Truthfully, he probably is. Ren is both stronger than him and a wielder of the Force. He could wrestle Hux to the ground and have him right then and there if he so willed it.

The thought terrifies him, but he stomps it down before it has a chance to send his mind spiralling. He knows it won’t come to that. This won’t be the first time he’s consented to trading sex for power, although this situation is unique in that he hasn’t despised any of his previous bedpartners nearly so much as he does Kylo Ren.

“You won’t always,” Ren laughs before his next kiss. And he kisses like a starving man tearing into his first morsel of food. Hux finds it hard not to feel _consumed._ “Give it time.”

 _‘Give it time,’_ Hux thinks as equally bitter as before. It would seem this situation will be further made unique by the fact that Hux has never slept with the same person twice. He was never one for repeat performances.

The word ‘ _exclusivity_ ’ is projected into his mind, along with a better picture of Ren’s proposal: The two of them at the top of the hierarchy; Hux answers to Ren alone. If Hux submits himself completely to the Supreme Leader, Ren will allow him to carry the First Order to victory.

Hux wonders how long the man has wanted him like this.

“A long time,” Ren says, and something prickles at the back of Hux’s mind.

            _‘…he said I wasn’t allowed to touch you or your things just yet…’_

Hux finds that thought disconcerting.

“Why?” Ren laughs, finally taking a step back. But the gain in distance between them is just a ruse. The hand around Hux’s throat bunches around the fabric of his collar to tug him forward.

“Because if I had known earlier, I would’ve taken measures to dissuade you,” Hux replies.

“What measures?” Ren turns to push Hux toward the bed. The lead weight in Hux’s stomach drops unpleasantly as he sits back on the mattress. “You were bred for this position, remember?”

It occurs to him suddenly that perhaps Snoke groomed more than just their rivalry, that perhaps he’d always intended for them to be unified in this way. Snoke might very well have promised Hux to Ren if he succeeded in whatever way Snoke was ultimately training the boy for.

Hux can’t believe how quickly his life has spiraled out of control. Or rather, he’s shocked by how little control he’s had over it all along.

“Is that the deal-breaker for you?” Ren asks, head tilted almost innocently to one side. Slowly, he crouches down before Hux. Hux’s heart leaps up into his throat, although all that Ren does in this position is slip off his boots and set them off to one side. “Knowing you’re exactly where everyone wanted you to be?”

“Does it bother you,” Hux softly retaliates, “knowing you’ve lived up to nobody’s expectations?”

Something dark passes behind Ren’s eyes before he surges up to kiss him again. And it is then that they truly descend into madness.

He wrestles Ren out of his robes as viciously as Ren divests him of his uniform. He bites the mouth that kisses him, digs his nails deep into the tender muscles of Ren’s back. They bruise and nip and kick, fighting more than fucking in a way that is both oddly satisfying and utterly disappointing. The prep is minimal; spit is used to ease the way. Ren ruts into him like something of a virgin, uncoordinated and violent, although not entirely uncaring. When Hux tries to project the fact he’s reached the threshold of his pain, Ren slows somewhat and reaches back to him mentally: a touch of numbness and the compulsion to relax. Not the response Hux was hoping for, but it would do.

Eventually—blessedly—it ends. Ren has the decency not to collapse on top of him, but rather braces himself above Hux instead, hips still cradled between Hux’s legs, softening inside him. They are both covered in sweat and heaving. Hux has no idea how long they’ve been laboring through this.

Slowly, Ren regains his breath. He looks oddly composed; smug. But then, he has every reason to be.

He’s conquered the symbol of the First Order and sated his own desires along the way.

Hux finds he can almost admire the man for his unexpected ability at conniving.

Quietly, Ren says, “Are we agreed?”

Hux wraps his hands around the back of his companion’s neck, staring up into dark eyes and an even darker mind. He sees the worst of everything in the universe writhing there, just behind the veil.

It looks promising.

“Long live the Supreme Leader,” he whispers.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: That's right, Hux. Just lie back and think of the First Order...


End file.
